Multiple-signal transmitter.



No. 640,270. Patented Jan. 2, I900. L. DAWSON.

MULTIPLE STGNAL TRANSMITTER.

(Application filed May 5, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Unirrie Fr ars Fines.

LEONARD DAW'SON, OF NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAlllElVELLFIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

MULTlPLE SlGNAL TRANSMHTTIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,278, dated January2, 1900.

Application filed May 5, 1899. Serial No. 715,723. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, LEONARD DAWSON, of Needham, county of Norfolk, andState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Multiple SignalTransmitters, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals 011the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to multiple-signal transmitters of that typeespecially adapted for use in connection with police-signal systemswherein a number of signals are employed, some of which are adapted tobe registered with the sounding of an alarm and commonly termed specialsignals and others are adapted to be registered silently; and theinvention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction ofthe same to the end that but a single main-circuit breaker shall beemployed for the transmission of all the signals, it being actuated byboth the boxnumber wheel and the special-signal wheel, and also to theend that the circuit-breaker in the short circuit normally shunting themain-circuit breaker shall be opened innuediately on starting the box orafter a predetermined length of time, and that the time that saidshunt-circuit breaker shall be opened shall be controlled by the pointerwhen setting the special signalas, for instance, when the pointer is setfor the transmission of all special calls-the shunt-circuit breaker willbe opened immediately on starting the box, and when the pointer is setfor the transmission of all other calls the shunt-circuit breaker willnot be opened until after a predetermined length of time.

The main-circuit breaker is so arranged that whenever it is operated totransmit any one of the signals it will first open the circuit for along interval of time and then repeatedly open the circuit for shorterintervals of time, and if the shunt circuit breaker is openedimmediately on starting the box then said long break or continued changein the normal condition of the circuit will be employed to operate analarm mechanism at the receiving-station; but if said shunt-circuitbreaker is not opened until after a predetermined interval of time thensaid long break will not affect the normal condition of the circuit andthe alarm mechanism will not be operated.

Figure 1 shows in plan view a multiple-signal transmitter embodying thisinvention; Fig. 2, a side view of the transmitter shown in Fig. 1, theparts being in theirnorinal position of rest; Fig. 8, a detail showingthe shunt-circuit breaker opened immediately on starting the box; Fig.4, a detail showing the shunt-circuit breaker closed on starting the boxand adapted to be opened only after a predetermined period of time; Fig.5, a de tail of the box-number wheel, and Fig. 6 a

detail of the circuit-operating device.

The main spring a is attached to a shaft, having secured to it a tootheddriving-wheel a, which engages a pinion a secured to a shaft c which hassecured to it a toothed 7o commonly used in signal-boxes; but so far asmy invention is concerned any othersuitable train may be employed. Thebox-number wheel I) is secured to the shaft a and it has formed on it,in addition to suitable projections Z) for operating thecircuit-operating de vice to transmit the box-number, a long projectionb for operating said circuit-operating device to change the condition ofthe circuit for a period of long duration preceding the box-number, suchlong change in the normal condition of the circuit being used for thepurpose of operating an alarm mechanism at a receivingstation, as isWell known in the art.

The special-signal wheel a is secured to a shaft 0, which has itshearings in the faceplates of the frame, and said shaft has secured toit a pointer 0 (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) by which it may be turnedmanually, as

required, to thereby set said special-signal wheel in any desiredposition according to the signal which it is desired to transmit.

(1 represents a contact-point fixed to a post d, to which one of thecircuit-wires, as 2, is

connected, and d represents a contact-pen 10o normally bearing upon saidcontact-point (Z, and said contact-pen (Z is attached to a block ofinsulating material (1 secured to alever d pivoted to the face-plate, itbeing herein represented as mounted upon the stud 01 The othercircuit-wire 3 is connected with the contact-pen 01 and said contact-pend and pivoted lever d bearing it, and the contact-point d serves as andconstitutes a main-circuitoperating device by means of which the circuitwill be operated for the transmission of all the signals.

The pivoted lever d has a rearwardly-ex tended arm or projection dpreferably hearing a roll at its extremity, which engages thespecial-signal wheel 0, and as said wheel is turned its teeth will actupon said arm 01 and vibrate the lever d on its pivot, thereby operatingthe circuit-operating device. An arm d is also secured to the pivotedlever d projecting therefrom at substantially right angles, as shown inFig. 2, and said arm d may or may not have at its extremity a roll, andthe extremity of said arm engages the boxnumber wheel I), and as saidbox-nu mber wheel revolves the arm d will be operated to in turn operatethe pivoted lever d and therebytransmitthebox-numbersignal. The arm d isadj ustably secured to the pivoted arm d so that its extremity may bebrought nearer to or farther from the box-number wheel, as desired,which results in varying the-lengths of the periods of time that thecircuit will be opened by the vibrations or movements of the arm d asthe box-number wheel revolves. When said arm d is adjusted near to thebox number Wheel, the periods of time that the circuit is opened will belonger than when said arm is adjusted remotely from said wheel.

A spring 01 bears upon a pivoted lever 01 Which tends to hold the arms dand d in engagement with their respective wheels and also normally holdsthe contact-pen d in engagement with the contact-point d.

The train is started by operating the winding-arm or pull w, which isherein represented as secured'to the winding-shaft, and at each time itis operated the train runs so that the box-number wheel shall make onecomplete revolution, and thereby transmit the boxnumber preceded by acurrent change of long duration, although for some signals said currentchange of long duration will be omitted, as will be described. Alsowhenever the pointer is set for the transmission of any special signalsaid special-signal wheel 0 will be turned one or more teeth, accordingto the signal desired, and as the box-number wheel revolves the toothedsector f, which is secured to the shaft of said box-number wheel,andwhich consequently moves in unison with it, will engage a similartoothed sector f, cut or formed in the special-signal wheel, and willact to turn said special-signal wheel and restore it to its normalposition, and as said special-signal wheel is restored its teeth willact upon the arm 61 and vibrate the circuitoperating lever 01 It isherein designed that one of the signals shall be transmitted which shallconsist solely of the box-number preceded by a current change of longduration, and to transmit such signal the box will be simply pulled andthe box-number wheel caused to make one complete revolution, and as itrevolves the long projection 19 will first act upon the arm 01 andvibrate the circuit-operating lever 01 and thereafter the several teethb will act upon and vibrate said arm d in a similar manner.

It is herein designed that all special signals shall be preceded by acurrent change of long duration, and consequently the pointer havingbeen set for any special signal the box will be pulled and the longprojection 19 will first act upon and vibrate the arm 01 Then thetoothed sector f will engage the toothed sector f and restore thespecial-signal wheel 0, causing its teeth to act upon and vibrate thearm 61. Then the teeth Z) on the box-number wheel will operate the arm01 it being understood that the box-number wheel will be cut away for asuitable interval between thelong projection b and the first tooth ofthe box-number to allow for all signals on the special-signal wheel.

A short circuit is provided for normally shunting themain-circuitoperating device, which is herein represented as a pair ofcontact-pens n a, secured to opposite sides of a block 473, ofinsulating material, and the circuit-wires 2 3 are respectivelyconnected at at 5 to said contactpens, and the leading-in wires of thebox will be connected to bindingposts 6 7, which are also connected tosaid contact-pens.

A cam g on the shaft of the box-number wheel, composed of insulatingmaterial, has a projection g, which engages the contactpen n and holdsit pressed up against the contact-pen n, thereby normally closing saidshort circuit when the boxis at rest. These contact-pens, shunting, asthey do, the maincircuit-operating device, are herein termed theshunt-circuit breaker.

When the box is at rest, the projection g on the cam g is normallyholding the contactpens closed, as represented in Fig. 2; but as soon asthe box is started the projection 9' passes from beneath the contact-penn and allows said pen to fall by'its inherent spring action, and therebyseparate the pens and open the short circuit preparatory to the signalsbeing transmitted. If the contact-pens n n are separated at thistime-via, immediately upon starting the boxthen as the long projection11 operates the arm d and separates the main contacts (1 d a currentchange of long duration will be produced, and consequently for allsignals which require a long current change to precede the signal thesecontact-pens n n will be separated immediately on starting the box. Inother instances where it is desired that no such current change shallprecede the signal-as, for instance, for all signals which it isintended shall be registered silently--the contactpens n n will not beseparated until after the train has run a predetermined length of timeor until after the long projection b has passed by the arm (Z Toaccomplish this result, the cam g has formed on it a long bearingportion which will receive upon it the contactpen n as it slips off theprojection g, and a prop h is provided for the contact-pen n, whichnormally holds said pen a in its normal elevated position, and when saidprop b occupies a position beneath the pen a said pen a will be held inits elevated position, so that just as soon as the pen a slips off theprojection g and falls onto the long bearing portion oi the cam g theshort circuit will be opened; but if said prop shall be removed from itsposition beneath the contactpen n then as soon as said pen a slips offthe projection g and falls onto the long bearing portion of the cam gthe contact-pen n will follow the contact-pen n by its inherent springaction and said contact pcnwill remain closed while resting upon saidlong bearing portion, and such engagement of the contact-pens willcontinue until the contact-pen it passes by or slips off the longbearing portion of the cam. ever it is desired to transmit a signalwhich does not require a long current change to precede the signal theprop h will be moved from beneath the contact-pen a.

As herein shown, the prop 7b is secured to the shaft carrying thepointer and specialsignal wheel and will be moved by turning thepointer, and for such unimportant signals as do not require the soundingof the alarm the pointer will be turned far enough to move the proph'from beneath the contactpen a, as shown in Fig. 4, and then if the boxis pulled the contact-pen a will at once slip off the projection g ontothe long bearing portion of the cam g and the contact-pen n will followit, retaining its engagement with it, and as the long projection boperates the arm (1 the circuit-operating device will be operated; butas the short circuit is closed the condition of the main circuit willnot be changed; but as soon as the long bearing portion of the cam 9passes from beneath the contact-pen n then said contact-pen will falland open the short circuit, after which the special-signal wheel will berestored, as heretofore explained, and the box-number signal willsubsequently be transmitted. Thus it will be seen that the shunt-circuitbreaker is adapted to be operated either immediately on starting the boxor after a predetermined length of time and that the prop h serves as acontrolling device for determining which time the shunt-circuit breakershall operate to open the short circuit of the main-circuitoperatingdevice.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the employment of a prop 71, asherein shown, for accomplishing this result, as it is obvious that otherforms of controlling devices may be pro- Therefore whenvided adapted tobe operated manually which will subserve the same end.

It will be noted that the shunt-circuit breaker remains closed duringthe time the pointer is being moved to set the signal, so that anyvibrations of the arm (1 incident to thus moving the pointer will notproduce changes in the circuit.

I claim- 1. In a multiple-signal-transmitting device, acircuit-operating device, a box-number wheel and a special-signalwheeland arms projecting from said circuitoperating device adapted tocooperate with both of said wheels, substantially as described.

2. In a multiple-signal-transmitting device, a circuit-operating deviceconsisting of a contact-point and a pivoted lever bearing a contact-pen,a box-number wheel, a special-signal wheel and arms projecting from saidcircuit-operating device adapted to cooperate with both of said wheels,substantially as described.

3. In a multiple-signal-transmitting device, a circuitoperating device,a box-number wheel and a special-signal wheel and arms projecting fromsaid circuit-operating device adapted to cooperate with both of saidwheels, one of said arms being adjustable relatively to the otherwhereby the length of the intervals of time the circuit is opened by thecircuitoperating device may be varied, substantially as described.

i. In a m ultiple-signal-transmitting device, a circuit-operatingdevice, a box-number wheel and a special-signal wheel, a short circuitshunting said circuit-operating device, a circuit-breaker for said shortcircuit, a cam for normally holding said shunt-circuit breaker closedwhen the boX is at rest and for opening it immediately upon starting thebox or after a predetermined interval of time, and a controlling deviceoperated by the pointer when setting said special-signal wheel fordetermining which time said shuntcircuit breaker shall operate,substantially as described.

5. In a multiple-signal-transmitting device a circuit-operating device,a box-number wheel and a special-signal wheel, a short circuit shuntingsaid circuit-operating device, a circuit-breaker for said short circuit,a cam operated by the train for normally holding said shunt-circuitbreaker closed when the box is at rest and for opening itimmediatelyupon starting the box or after a predetermined interval of time, and acontrolling device operated in unison with the special-signal wheel fordetermining which time said shunt-circuit breaker shall operate,substantially as described.

6. In a mnltiplesignal-transmitting device, a circuit-operating device,a box-number wheel and a special-signal wheel, a short circuit shuntingsaid circuit-operating device, a shunt-circuit breaker for said shortcircuit consisting of a pair of spring-acting pens, a

cam operated by the train for engaging one of said pens and normallyholding it pressed into engagement with the other pen when the box is atrest and for permitting said pens to separate immediately on startingthe box or after a predetermined length of time, and a prop operated bythe means employed for setting the special-signal wheel which controlsthe position of the other pen and thereby determine which time said pensshall separate, 10 substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subsoribin g witnesses.

LEONARD DAWSON.

Witnesses:

B. J. NOYES,

J ENNIE L. HUTCHINSON.

